The “gold standard” in business education for many years has been the Masters of Business Administration. A strong mix of various higher level business content and curriculum has made it one of the most popular degrees at any institution for varying disciplines. The MBA accounts for about half of Walsh Colleges graduate student population.

The next faculty profile is of Dr. Linda M. Hagan, Ph.D., Director of Graduate Programs, focusing on the MBA and Doctor of Management programs at Walsh College. Dr. Hagan join Walsh College in 2007 and in addition to teaching and administrative responsibilities, she serves as a member of the Walsh College Institutional Review Board

Dr. Hagan was kind enough to answer a few questions so all of you could get to know her a bit better!

Hometown

Detroit (Redford Township), Michigan

Now a resident of Novi, Michigan

Educational Credentials

BBA, Marketing, Eastern Michigan University

MA, Journalism, University of Arizona

PhD, Communication, Public Relations with cognate in Strategic Management, University of Maryland

Hobbies

Playing golf, attending sporting events, travelling, going to movies, reading books, spending time with family and friends, trying new restaurants

What was your dream growing up?

A teacher - when I was a little girl I always played school. But I also wanted to be a corporate CEO, a famous writer, and a ballroom dancer – I’m still dreaming!

Why did you decide to teach?

When I was working in industry I enjoyed conducting information and training sessions, and growing up I always wanted to be a teacher. To be a professor at a college of business is the perfect world for me. Plus, I was blessed with having some great teachers all of my life. They were tough and demanded high quality, but they showed me they cared about me and my future success. I try to emulate the great teachers I was lucky to have.

Why should students choose Walsh College?

Because of those who teach, those who attend, and those who have earned degrees.

The course instructors have the academic credentials plus actually worked or continue to work in the business world full time.

The students are dedicated and are going to college to better themselves – to become better leaders, better professionals, better wage earners, better community members – and role models for their children, family, and friends.

Ask around and find out where Walsh alumni are working – they are leaders at some of the top organizations, especially in management, accounting, and finance.

Most fond memory at Walsh College

1. Congratulating graduates at every Commencement Ceremony – their family and friends are so proud of them

2. I won the 50/50 raffle two years in a row at the Walsh College alumni golf outing!

Advice for students

Just as with anything in life, you’ll get out of your education what you put into it. But going to college isn’t just about earning a degree; it’s about mastering topics, learning specialized skills, striving for quality, learning how to listen and communicate better, getting along with a diversity of people, being respectful and being a person others will respect, working hard, and staying positive.

Officer and Gentleman – a movie about character, perseverance, and a love story!

Poem

“To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Stay tuned for more blogs to give you an inside peak into the lives and minds of some of our esteemed professors and be sure to take the time to sit down with your professors outside of classroom time, they are pretty amazing people!

Walsh College is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (www.ncahlc.org; phone: 312-263-0456). Specific degree programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP, www.acbsp.org).